How Do You Define Yourself?

Warning: The ugly part could make you cry.

"The World's Ugliest Woman" is not Lizzie Velasquez. Simply, I think every person who knows they teased her should go and humbly apologize.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c62Aqdlzvqk

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The Giving Tree

An awesome story. Well read, and is considered the next best thing after reading the book yourself. This story made me, as a parent, feel very sad ... mainly because of how true and accurate it is. And for that, I found it to be very inspirational. I hope you do too.

This is a story by Shell Silverstein, and it’s called The Giving Tree. You can find the text of the book here.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwVCYainOWE

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Pay It Forward - Russian Kindness

Find all that is kind in you and pay it forward. I know I always feel better after doing an act of kindness. Commit one week a year to doing so. Just seven days out of 350+ days.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmKKaf2F6uk

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Blind Chef's Apple Pie

Gordon Ramsay builds up a blind chef's confidence by beautifully describing her pie. Blind contestant Christine's attempt at baking an Apple Pie for the first pressure test in season 3 of MasterChef US. @MC3Christine on Twitter.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIGXboHpge0

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Rice Engineering Students Build A Robotic Arm For A Teenager

Rice Engineering students continue a class "project" for two years to deliver a robotic arm to a wheel-chair bound teenager. Learn more about it on their page.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1jbEvhFzQM

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Inspirational Monday - Quotes

As in times past, I won't bore you with what I have to say; instead, I will let these quotes speak for themselves:

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. ~Albert Schweitzer

The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about. ~Unknown

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?' ~Brian Tracy

Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out. ~Robert Collier

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. ~Steve Jobs

Be happy with what you have while working for what you want. ~Helen Keller

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. ~George S. Patton

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely. ~Henry Ford

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Truly Paying It Forward

As +Francine Hardaway posted on Google+: "You don't need to speak Thai to understand and love this." A story about paying it forward in the most real-life way. I hope this inspires us all (me included) to to good, and start the cycle of paying it forward.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s22HX18wDY

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Anything Is Possible. How Bad Do You Want It?

Successful people look at the unit of measurement as hours, not days or more.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbZnCGyPneo

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Real Beauty Sketches by Dove

Simply put, I hope my wife sees this video. She's a lot more beautiful than she thinks she is.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

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John Cage's 4'33"

Good audio can make or break a Writer, a student or anyone who seeks inspiration and/or concentration. This is among those key pieces, which should be in everyone's tool-chest.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTEFKFiXSx4

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Never Ever Give Up -An Inspirational Tale

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

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One Switch. One Head. The World

We take a lot for granted. This video shows me, and hopefully you, tenacity, determination, drive, focus and resolve. I wish the best for him and others like him.

On the lighter side of things, someone needs to get this young man on Android.

Via Guy Kawasaki on Google+

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSSgndQ5mVs

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Free Solo Rock / Mountain Climbing

The notion is crazy; especially so on some of the cliffs/rocks show-cased in this video. I know it's awful, but I couldn't help but think that something horrible was going to happen. To learn that he's done this more than a 1000 times is ... well ... AMAZING!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdemSEQUEow

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Change for a Dollar - An Inspiring Video

IMDb describes the storyline best:
Walk in the steps of a man as he affects multiple peoples lives with just one dollar, proving that it doesn't take much to be the change in someones life.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DXL9vIUbWg

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Spirals and the Fibonacci Sequence

I found the below video to be inspiring. I hope you do too. I haven't seen the other two, but look forward to seeing your feedback on them in the comments.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXIMUkSXX0

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Pass It Forward - An Inspirational Video

Pay It Forward as a movie delivered the message of doing nice. Some are driven by morals while others are driven by religious teachings & upbringing. Regardless of the reasons, the idea itself is noble. The following short video, I found, represented the idea well and delivered the inspirational point home.

Now all that's left is that YOU pass it forward. Share it with others.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8ZbVcdHpg

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Sense of Flying

Amongst the many dreams of kids (perhaps more prevalent in boys than it is in girls), is the dream of flying. While the below attempt is down-right scary, I believe he masters his emotions, fears, etc. quite well.

SENSE OF FLYING from Goovinn on Vimeo.

What´s it like flying down a mountain at 250 km/h? Espen Fadnes - The World’s Fastest Flying Human Being 2010 - teamed up with Project Managers Goovinn to communicate the experience of flying. ”SENSE OF FLYING” came out of the collaboration.



Turn up the volume, experience it, share it: SENSE OF FLYING

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People Are Awesome - Amazing People

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEu42L0ufBY

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Liberate Yourself, Be Productive

I can think of a few parents who would benefit (and get a kick out of) doing this to their teenagers. Hmmmm!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc57X0j_UwM

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Approx. 3.2 Million Dots to Draw a Picture

According to what's posted on Vimeo ...

The making of "Hero," a drawing of my dad composed entirely out of 3.2 million ink dots.
Created and Produced by Miguel Endara
miguelendara.com

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

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